11-20-15 deer hunt-safety

The chief warden for the Wisconsin DNR says he’s hoping hunters make safety their top priority when they hit the woods this weekend for the start of the nine day gun-deer season.  There were no fatalities during the gun deer hunt last season, and DNR chief warden Todd Schaller says he wants to see that trend continue.  “Hunting in general is a safe activity in Wisconsin, it just continues to get safer,”  Schaller told AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.  “From the firearm aspect we work with the hunter education instructors, the hunters themselves, knowing and following the four rules of firearms safety has made hunting safe in Wisconsin.”    Schaller says Wisconsin’s deer herd is one of the best in the country.  “Wisconsin’s deer hunt is some of the best in the nation, not only in the number of deer harvested but also when you look at the amount of public land available and the trophy deer.”   For the first time kill registrations will be paperless; all hunters will have to register their kills by phone or online.  Hunters also will be prohibited from killing antlerless deer in northern Wisconsin.